Chartwell Partners Recruits President and CEO for Eagle Bancorp
October 22, 2026 – Dallas, TX-based executive search firm Chartwell Partners has assisted in the recruitment of Stephen Curley as president and chief executive officer of Eagle Bancorp, Inc., the Bethesda-based holding company for EagleBank, one of the largest community banks in the Washington, D.C. area. The appointment followed an extensive board evaluation and search of internal and external candidates. “Congratulations to EagleBank on the appointment of a highly experienced and respected financial services executive as CEO,” said Scott Petty, partner of Chartwell Partners’ financial services practice. “We appreciate the opportunity to support the bank in this important leadership transition.”
“The board’s CEO search focused on identifying a leader with experience and strategic judgment required in today’s challenging banking environment,” said James A. Soltesz, Eagle Bancorp’s independent board chair. “Long-term shareholder value requires execution across lending, deposit growth, capital allocation, and risk management. Our priorities remain focused on improving shareholder returns, diversifying our funding profile, optimizing the balance sheet and delivering sustainable profitability. Stephen Curley brings hands-on experience executing those priorities.”
“He has built commercial banking relationships, expanded core deposits, allocated capital prudently and maintained a strong focus on risk-adjusted returns,” Mr. Soltesz continued. “He also understands the value of relationship-driven community banking — combining local decision-making, and specialized expertise that differentiates EagleBank from other institutions. His personality and leadership style aligns with EagleBank’s Relationship FIRST culture, strategic direction and operating approach. He is well positioned to strengthen profitability, enhance franchise value and deliver consistent long-term performance for shareholders.”
Mr. Curley is a seasoned banking executive with more than 25 years of experience leading diversified business lines and delivering growth and strong operational performance. At Western Alliance Bank in Phoenix, AZ, he served as chief banking officer for national business lines and division president of Alliance Association Bank. He revitalized branch banking and small business lending, improved branch profitability, and enhanced service for middle-market commercial clients. He also built several new businesses that helped diversify the company’s lending assets and grow high quality core operating deposits.
Related: Chartwell Partners Assists Farm Credit Bank of Texas with CEO Search
In his new role at EagleBank, Mr. Curley will be accountable for strengthening the institution’s long‑term performance and stability, evaluating the bank’s business lines, and guiding the organization through a period of strategic balance‑sheet diversification while maintaining disciplined credit and risk practices. He Curley will provide EagleBank with overarching leadership in the development of strategic and annual business plans, the establishment of operating goals and performance standards, the recruitment and retention of executive talent, and the alignment of management and staff around key corporate objectives.
Respected Market Position
“EagleBank is a strong commercial franchise, with a respected market position and solid operating foundation,” Mr. Curley said. “Leveraging those strengths will lead to improving performance, expanding the business and delivering value for clients, employees and shareholders. “My experiences in banking have been centered on growth, operational accountability and consistent execution. I will strive to bring that experience and leadership to Eagle and the communities it serves to achieve our strategic objectives.”
Scaling Growth Through Transformative Talent
High-growth environments can compress time, magnify decisions, and expose leadership gaps in an instant. As companies move through periods of rapid expansion, the ability to build and evolve the right leadership team becomes increasingly critical to sustaining momentum and creating long-term value. Across private equity, venture capital, and technology-driven businesses, organizations are rethinking how they assess executive talent, strengthen leadership benches, and prepare teams for the demands of the next stage of growth. From founder-led recruiting and executive assessment to AI-enabled talent intelligence, cybersecurity leadership, and organizational design, the focus is shifting toward more deliberate, data-informed decisions about the people ultimately responsible for scaling the enterprise.
Hunt Scanlon Media will convene more than 250 private equity & venture capital operating partners, chief talent officers, and executive recruiters at The Marker Hotel in San Francisco on October 28, 2026. The program will explore how organizations across venture capital, private equity, and high-growth technology sectors are building the leadership infrastructure required to scale—examining how talent decisions, executive team design, and leadership assessment strategies are evolving to support sustained growth, innovation, and long-term enterprise value.
To register for Hunt Scanlon Media’s upcoming conference please click here!
Eagle Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company for EagleBank, which commenced operations in 1998. The Bank is headquartered in Bethesda, MD, and operates through twelve banking offices and four lending offices located in Suburban Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia. It focuses on building relationships with businesses, professionals and individuals in its marketplace, and is committed to a culture of respect, opportunity, belonging and inclusion.
Chartwell Partners is focused on identifying and recruiting senior executives and board members for clients in four specific industries: biopharmaceuticals, healthcare services, financial services, and real estate.
Mr. Petty is located in the Dallas office of Chartwell Partners and leads the firm’s financial services practice serving bank, mortgage, wealth management and real estate clients across the country. He has established a track record as an executive search consultant recruiting senior executives and board directors for small- and mid-cap public and closely-held private companies.
Related: Chartwell Partners Recruits CFO for First United Bank
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
